1. Field of the Invention
Aspects of the present invention provide an adjustable interposer that fits under a manhole cover. A flowing water scope consists of an interposer and modules attached to the interposer for power, lighting, imaging, onsite computation and communication. The flowing water scope provides quantification and visualization of water flow and detection of water constituents. Capabilities can be extended using accessories that communicate with the flowing water scope. Monitored parameters and wastewater flow imagery are transmitted to the cloud for synchronized management of wide area drainage.
2. Description of the Related Art
Water flow measurement is a foundational component of environmental protection and is key to understanding of how the dynamics of flows affects water quality. Aspects of the present invention can greatly enhance the capability of water/wastewater/stormwater utilities to monitor, manage, and control their conveyance networks/systems, therefore improving public health and the environment.
Current flow measurement methods involve decentralized, standalone equipment with extremely challenging networking capability. The methods are costly, potentially dangerous because human entry is required for installation and maintenance, consume large battery cells that need frequent replacement, are not adept at measuring low flows, and are subject to removal from monitoring sites to calibrate equipment. That is, there has been a lack of available flow monitoring systems that are easily and safely deployed, reliable, accurate, self-calibrating, centrally managed, and cost-effective.
Existing pipe flow measurement products involve some form of area-velocity flow measurement by means of cabled, submerged sensors installed in the flow stream with a separate logger/battery box located near the top of the manhole. The standard features of these units include pressure and/or ultrasonic sensors for level measurement and sonic Doppler waves propagated within the stream for measurement of velocity. The sensors are cumbersome and dangerous to install, requiring the installer to enter the sewer pipe, which is a confined space entry. The sensors are most commonly mounted in the sewer pipe using expansion rings that are subject to being dislodged, particularly if debris catches the cable connecting the sensor(s) to the logger/power source. Most units have no network connectivity, requiring time consuming in-person data retrieval. There is no way of visually observing sewer conditions without being physically present at the site such that frequent clogging is difficult to identify. Other drawbacks include laborious calibration; difficult and dangerous installation; no method of updating the sensor/logger system while deployed; manual configuration and adjustment of embedded software; erroneous readings that are associated with incorrect user input (e.g. for pipe dimensions) during configuration; sensors that can be fouled and damaged because of challenging placement in the stream; and challenging networking set up, requiring highly customized centralized software configurations.